Hello and happy holidays to all of our NAILTA members and friends! My name is Rob Holman and I have the pleasure of serving as your NAILTA President for the next two years. This is a busy and special time of the year. The holidays and our year-end business responsibilities keep us occupied at nearly every available moment. I hope this message finds each of you in good times and spirits. It is my sincere hope that you make time to spend as much time as you can with friends and family over the holidays. There is nothing we do that is more important. Throughout the coming year, it is my goal to reach out to members through this medium to give you a periodic picture into what NAILTA is doing and where we are going. We intend on also providing a more formal newsletter for topical and timely industry news, as well. The goal is to keep everyone informed on NAILTA’s work and to encourage your participation and inquiry. In a few weeks, I will begin our collaborative efforts on NAILTA’s 2017-2018 agenda with a dedicated and hard-working group of Board Members who share our collective vision for a healthy and robust independent real estate settlement service provider community. We will need your help. In order to accomplish our goals, we will depend upon each of you to become more involved. Volunteer opportunities include committee participation, attendance at events and continued support of our political action committee, NAILTAPAC, and renewal of membership commitments. Our goal is to provide value. Our success in that endeavor will be measured by...

The National Association of Independent Land Title Agents (NAILTA) is pleased to announce that Rob Holman will become its fifth organizational President on January 1, 2017. Holman, a 17-year title insurance industry veteran, is currently the President and General Counsel for General Title Insurance Company in Cleveland, Ohio, a regional title insurance underwriter with independent land title agents located in six states. Rob is a founding and charter member of NAILTA and previously served on the NAILTA Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2014. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead NAILTA over the next two years as its President and to work with each of [its members] and soon, I realize, the heavy-lifting will begin,” Holman wrote in October. “I have no illusion that [this] endeavor will be easy or accomplished through the solitary actions of just one person. The success of NAILTA is tied to the collective action of each member,” he continued. NAILTA members also selected a new slate of Board Members that includes: Margaret Sklenar of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who will serve as Vice President, Pat Miller of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who will serve as Treasurer; Nancy Silberberg of Upland, California; Jimmy Dill of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Van Winton of Paragould, Arkansas; and John Novarina of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The new Board represents a wide-swath of the United States and brings experiences from escrow, title and abstracting together. It is a diverse and talented group. “It is more ideal to have an independent land title association run by independent land title agents, not by underwriters. I will be responsible for confronting that criticism throughout my tenure...

The National Association of Independent Land Title Agents (NAILTA) has gone through numerous changes in the last year with respect to our leadership. Our national conference which was to be held September 19 -22, 2015 in Baltimore was scheduled at that time for a very specific reason, the implementation of TRID (TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure). We felt that our conference, together with our speakers and panel of experts would provide very timely and concise information for the independent title agents during this time of implementation. Considering recent events in Baltimore , the changes in our leadership, the recent the death of our President, David LeClere and other factors outside of our control, the Board of Directors of NAILTA has determined that it is necessary to cancel this year’s Conference. This decision was reached after much discussion and debate. Refunds are being made to all parties who had enrolled to date. It is the intention of the Board as newly constituted to re-focus and re-commit our future efforts to the principles upon which NAILTA was initially created, namely: Restore transparency and credibility to the land title process, preserve the objective and impartial role of the title agent at the closing table to improve the consumer experience. To eliminate conflicts of interest between title agents and their referral sources, as well as, between all real estate settlement service providers and their sources of business. To establish a minimum search standard for title examinations to restore faith in the system of land title. And, to bring together common interests and concerns from across the country from the entire spectrum of real estate settlement...

Today we heard the tragic news of the death of David LeClere. David was a true leader. Always thinking towards the future and the betterment of the Association and the title industry, David will be sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to his family, colleagues and friends during this very sad time. We will post arrangements when they become...

National Association of Independent Land Title (NAILTA) has joined with the Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds Association (PRODA) to file an Amicus brief on behalf of NAILTA and in support of the Montgomery County Recorder’s Office in their current litigation against MERS. Nancy Becker, Montgomery County Recorder and supporter of NAILTA, requested we file an Amicus with PRODA to support the position that all transfers be recorded in the County records to preserve the integrity of our countries land records. NAILTA’s attorney, Greg Happ, Esq. acted in consort with attorney(s) for PRODA, to prepare and complete this brief you now find attached. Gregory was assisted in preparation of this brief, and special recognition should be given to the learned and supporting legal talent which included Robert Franco, Esq., Robert Holman, Esq., Jeff Shank, Esq. and Craig Hillwig, Esq. These gifted attorneys assisted in preparing this brief Pro Bono, i.e. at no cost to NAILTA and its members. NAILTA cautiously anticipates the affirmation of the trial court’s previous ruling that assignments of Mortgages, Deeds of Trust must be recorded in the county where the property is situated is sustained on appeal. A positive reaffirmation of the Trial Courts previous ruling against MERS and in favor the Recorder of Montgomery County, would be a welcome step in the preservation of our counties land records. Anthony L. Affatati, Sr President For the Board of...

To Our Esteemed Colleagues For those of you who celebrate Chanukah, we wish that the lights of the menorah burn brightly, bringing warmth and happiness to you and yours. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, we wish you the blessings of the season – joy, peace and love. For those of you who celebrate Kwanza, we wish you the holiday’s richest harvest – unity, family, and faith. We wish all a very happy new year with the lasting hope for… Peace on earth, good will towards all. Anthony L. Affatati, Sr. President For The Board of Directors National Association of Independent Land Title...